The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed India's first unmanned tank which has three variants for surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats.
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These remotely operated tank called Muntra was developed and tested for Indian Army by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadi. However, the paramilitary has also expressed interest in using them in Naxal-hit areas.
Two of these tanks were put on display at an exhibition - Science for Soldiers - organised by the DRDO as a tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam at CVRD in Avadi. The tanks are designed like an armoured tank.
What does the tank do?
The Muntra-S is the first tracked unmanned ground vehicle which will facilitate the security forces in conducting unmanned surveillance missions. While the Muntra-M is for detecting mines, the Muntra-N is for operation in areas where there is a nuclear radiation or bio weapon risk.
These tanks were tested and validated at the Mahajan field firing range in Rajasthan which is well known for its rough terrain and extreme weather conditions.
The vehicles were exposed to dusty desert conditions where temperatures touched 52 degrees Celcius. But the Indian forces comfortably teleoperated the vehicle.
The Muntra is also equipped with surveillance radar, an integrated camera along with laser range finder which can be used to spy on ground targets like crawling men or heavy vehicles up to 15km away.
Apart from the unmanned Muntra tanks, the exhibition also showcased exhibition also showcased CCPT vehicle which is a remote command centre, helmet-mounted night vision, nano-driven thermal and electromagnetic protection and other laser weapons.
